While addressing the public services lack-luster performance, the Governor said: ”Both the premier and myself are absolutely clear that the priority is to get economic growth and development growing again in Montserrat, to bring Montserrat closer towards the path of financial independence. One of the ways to do that is to encourage people to return to Montserrat because the current population is unsustainable, with the knowledge that they will only come back if there are worthwhile opportunities for them to pursue. So I want the public sector to think of themselves as a team pursuing collectively that vision and I also agree with you (the press) that it isn’t all criticism; there’s allot of praise that can be given and everything should be measured, but we want to take stock at this point.”
Public Service Act and General Orders
The Governor revealed plans for a new Public Service Act which would address such matters as: the need to have accurate performance management systems in place; reward for good performance and have sanctions against poor performance – the whole gamut of public sector.
He noted the need for the public sector to be flexible in times of economic stringency. At the sessions, “there are areas that we’re addressing so it’s a kind of counterpart to the financial figures, it’s a question of attitudes, how the public is set up to deliver, how they do in fact deliver, and the various policies that we’ve decided in cabinet….””
“…We’re going to have a public service act soon. We’re re-writing the General Orders and regulations. It sounds boring but it’s essential that’s going to come to Cabinet soon,” he said, announcing that he thinks the public service is performing, “at about a 50% compliance rate and that needs to go up.”
